The Gold Standard

For much of United States' history, for every dollar in circulation, there was held in reserve a dollar's worth of gold. This was called the Gold Standard and it established a certain amount of stability and credibility with the monetary system and allowed people to trust in the value of their currency. With the amount of wealth currently in existence, it would be impractical to return to the gold standard as there isn't currently enough gold in the world to cover it. However, I still think that the concept of a gold standard retains a lot of value. We often talk about the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This is essentially a practical application of the two great commandments to love God and to love our neighbors. Just as the US based the value of their currency on the Gold Standard, we can place the value of our own selves on the Gold Standard of God's love for us and our love for Him and for each other. Just as we have seen many currencies rise and fall when their value is pegged to unstable standards, so too can our sense of self worth fluctuate when it is not based on the Gold Standard of God's love. In the last few years especially we have seen an explosion of crypto currencies. Some people have gotten very rich very quickly and then just as quickly gotten very poor again on these brand new currencies with their unstable standards. We can see the same thing with people who place their self worth on the opinions and likes of virtual fans and followers. These crypto currencies of approval and adoration are highly unstable, and one wrong word can lead to someone being so thoroughly canceled that not just their online presence but their whole life in the real world is ruined. It can be tempting to abandon the Gold Standard, particularly when we see so many examples of people getting rich and famous ridiculously fast when they decide to abandon the Gold Standard. But if we are truly committed to loving God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength, and loving our neighbors just as He would, then no matter our circumstances, we will be firm in the knowledge that our value does not fluctuate, but is as real and solid and pure as a bar of gold.